Hike of the Week: Mount Pete? Peak? No matter, the trail is sweet

Published 10:00 pm, Wednesday, January 9, 2002

It seemed that everyone in the state had been to Mount Pete except us.

Actually, this peak near Enumclaw is known by three names.

Some call it Mount Peak. And in guides to lookouts, it is referred to as Pinnacle Peak, but historical information is skimpy. The lookout tower was removed in the 1960s.

We call it Mount Pete, because it is described that way in most guidebooks. However, not much is known about Pete, for whom the mountain was named.

The trail is short and steep and leads to the site of a lookout (1,800 feet). There are no giddy views from the summit, but geologically the trail is interesting because of the columnar basalt found along its upper section.

If you've got a geological bent, you'll enjoy this hike. Some of the columns are resting horizontally, others remain vertical. There must have been a whole lot of shakin' goin' on here once upon a time.

From some perspectives, the columns look like a cubistic painting, with curtains of maidenhair ferns hiding some of them. Sadly, other columns bear botched attempts by those seeking immortality by scratching their names into the stones. Too bad -- we don't need to know that Tom was there.

You can help maintain this gem of a trail by hauling up a jug of gravel and spreading it where needed. You'll find the gravel piles and jugs near the start of the trailhead.

We hiked the one-mile trail on a rainy Thursday. Though it wasn't a holiday, by the time we returned to the parking lot, the area was nearly full and we had met several locals on the trail.

We asked one hiker if she knew why the peak had been named Mount Pete. A local who has hiked here for years, she said she knew it only as Mount Peak. She, too, wanted to find out more about the nomenclature of the peak.

Since the hike is close to town, locals hike the trail mostly in sweatshirts and jeans and don't carry packs. To them, we probably looked a bit ridiculous with our day packs, 10 essentials and sturdy boots (though we believe it far better to be overprepared).

Though Mount Pete is a perfect hike for the family, be sure to watch the children. This is the peak on which a tot wandered off the main trail and was lost for 34 hours in late November. Fortunately the little boy was found and the story had a happy ending.

The trail doesn't waste any time getting to the lookout site. There are several big evergreens along the lower section -- some areas apparently have never been logged or at the very least were logged long ago. The trail joins a road at 3/4 of a mile and as the road narrows you'll find the columnar basalt along the last 1/4 of a mile as the road narrows and approaches the summit.

Trees have taken over the summit and big views are hard to come by, but there are peeks along the way.

Several unsigned paths go hither and yon and we could see how a tot could easily turn the wrong way. The terrain is steep and densely forested and despite its proximity to civilization, it wouldn't be a pleasant place to spend the night.

Getting there: From Enumclaw drive .8 mile east on state Route 410, then turn right onto 284th Street, drive 1 1/2 miles and turn right again on Southeast 472nd Street. In less than .5 mile, find the obvious trail heading uphill on your left and a parking area, elevation 770 feet. There is a very small sign at the trailhead (the park is administered by King County Parks and Recreation).

Trail data: Two miles round trip, elevation gain about 1,000 feet. For additional information refer to Harvey and Penny Manning's "Walks and Hikes in the Foothills and Lowlands Around Puget Sound" (The Mountaineers, 288 pages, $14.95). The map is Green Trails Enumclaw.